From 14th to 17th September, a new exhibit traces the fascinating evolution of Serpenti with a stunning selection of jewels and watches from the Maison’s historical archive and the latest Serpenti collections.
Exclusively on display at Bvlgari’s new Bond Street boutique, the pieces from the Bvlgari Heritage Collection highlight Serpenti’s extraordinary range of expressions throughout the decades, from more stylized versions to the animalier styles introduced in the second half of the 1950s.
Beginning in the late 1940s, the first Serpenti models were introduced, an avant-garde aesthetic that was initially combined with the Tubogas technique. Later, these were revived in several iterations, in two- or three-color gold or combined with steel to further confirm Bvlgari’s expertise with daring color combinations, intricate craftsmanship and unconventional materials. Square, circular, rectangular and octagonal shapes were adopted for the dial, sometimes evoking the snake head. The pieces illustrate the rich vein of creativity that Bvlgari has mined with Serpenti: the scales could be reproduced with diamonds, polychrome enamel or precious gems — like jade, to name an example that appears in the exhibit. In other models, the scales were transformed into playful “boules” that were soldered one by one to form an intricate gold mesh. The head of the animal is completely different on each model, and embellished with pave, baguette-, navette-, brilliant- or marquise-cut diamonds to give each style its own distinctive expression. And of course, the irreverent spirit of the Maison is always on display, with one gold and platinum Serpenti jewel featuring a playful red enamel tongue rather than the snake’s traditional forked one.
The slinky animal also takes shape as the fashionable belts that were so loved by the legendary Editor-in-Chief and style icon Diana Vreeland, who owned a custom model that she wrapped around her neck like a necklace. The three models on display at Bond Street are loyal replicas of the 1970s originals. Even the Bvlgari Melone evening bag, one of Bvlgari’s most popular styles from the 70s and 80s with its signature elliptical shape, got swept up in the Serpenti allure: the animal adorns the gold surface of the piece, suspended from an elegant silk cord decorated with a tassel. A very rare Serpenti necklace with polychrome enamel from 1969 — currently the only one in the Heritage Collection — will also be part of the London selection, and is embellished with an unmistakable Bvlgari touch in the form of a velvety cabochon sapphire that crowns the head.
Finally, the new Serpenti Seduttori watch line represents the current reimagination of the cult Serpenti watch. Featuring the iconic drop-shaped watch head and a flexible new bracelet crowned in cabochon-cut gemstones, this glamorous new addition affirms that Serpenti’s truest expression is one of constant evolution, and that the icon has been the ultimate embodiment of Bvlgari’s irrepressible creativity for more than 70 years.
